President Trump playfully ribbed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the recent controversies he has faced while kicking off remarks from his department secretaries during a cabinet meeting Wednesday.

“I could start with Pete on the left because he is my least controversial person at the table,” Trump, 78, quipped sarcastically while giving Hegseth a pat on the back. “We all know how good he is.”

Without missing a beat, Hegseth, 44, laughed and replied that “I think we’re controversial because we’re over the target” before pivoting to some of the accomplishments made during Trump’s 100 days in office and lavishing praise on the commander in chief.

“What we have seen since your election and the inauguration has been nothing short of a recruiting renaissance,” Hegseth said. “The men and women of America want to join the United States military led by President Donald Trump.”

Over recent weeks, Hegseth has faced controversy over two leaked Signal group chats and a wave of high-profile departures at the Pentagon.

In the infamous Signalgate chat set up by national security adviser Mike Waltz in which Hegseth posted detailed attack plans against the Houthis for a mid-March strike. Atlantic editor in chief Jeffrey Goldberg was inadvertently added to that chat and published the messages he received.

Last week, reports emerged that Hegseth had a second Signal chat featuring his wife, brother and attorney in which he allegedly discussed the strike against the Houthis. Hegseth has since defended that second chat as “informal” and “unclassified.”

Additionally, the Pentagon is still reeling from the aftermath of high-profile departures two weeks ago as a result of what sources told The Post was a “turf war” that clouded a leak investigation.

Colin Carroll, former chief of staff to the deputy defense secretary; senior adviser Dan Caldwell; and deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick were fired.

Joe Kasper, Hegseth’s former chief of staff, who was at the center of the controversy, also departed the Pentagon, as did former top spokesman John Ullyot, who penned a blistering op-ed in Politico against Hegseth’s management. Ullyot left on his own accord, while details of Kasper’s departure are subject to speculation.

All of that drama has seeped out into the public with Carroll sitting down for an interview with podcaster Megyn Kelly, and Caldwell with right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson last week, dishing on the office politics at the upper echelons of the Pentagon. While Hegseth was not at the center of controversy, the two faulted his former chief of staff, Kasper.

Trump has stood by Hegseth throughout all of those scandals, recently telling The Atlantic magazine: “I think he’s gonna get it together. I had a talk with him, a positive talk, but I had a talk with him.”

During the meeting on Wednesday, Hegseth glossed over the scandals and focused on the accomplishments at the Pentagon during the president’s first 100 days in office. 

“Truly historic,” Hegseth beamed. “We can barely absorb the volume and retention as well. Men and women in the military who don’t want to get out now that they have a real commander in chief.”

The Pentagon chief touted efforts to construct Trump’s so-called “Golden Dome” missile defense system, build the next generation F-47 fighter jet, find $6 billion in savings, raise combat standards, welcome soldiers back who had been given the boot due to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and assist in securing the border. 

“We ripped wokeness out of the military,” Hegseth proclaimed. 

“Because of your leadership, sir, I believe we’re making the military great again,” he told Trump. Hegseth was far from alone in praising his boss during the televised session in the Cabinet Room. Trump’s cabinet took turns during the meeting buttering him up with effusive praise.